News

Being <i>Next to Normal</i>

By  Posted: Jun 23, 2010

Meghann Fahy plays the unhinged Hannah on ONE LIFE TO LIVE. She also plays Natalie, the daughter of a bipolar mother, in Broadway's Tony award-winning musical Next to Normal. Between the two roles, Fahy has learned a lot about mental illness. "When we first were in the rehearsals [for the musical], all of the cast members had been reading up on it, reading books and articles to try and understand [the disease]. That's the biggest part of the show: It's really a lot more common than people think. It's also a misunderstood illness. Part of the message of our show is to raise awareness of what it means to be bipolar depressive. It's hard, but it's there, it exists and people need to know about it."

And being in Next to Normal struck a personal note with Fahy. "When I got involved with the show, a friend of mine was also diagnosed. [The show] took on new meaning for me. That's the other part...I think that lots of people [will] relate to it. There's a connection to be made with every character in the show," Fahy explains. "Somebody in the audience can [always] be reached."